The Chicago Blackhawks might have Connor Bedard, but they are not ready to contend yet by any means. One night they are playing well against one of the best teams in the league, the next they are getting blown out by Arizona.
Blackhawks go from beating the champs to losing to the Coyotes
The Chicago Blackhawks are officially done with the first month of the NHL season. At the end of October, the Hawks are 3-6-0 having beat the Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.
For the Hawks, the first month of the season shows just how much more work this team needs to put in. They have played some great hockey against tough opponents, but their winnable games against teams they should beat have resulted in some bad nights.
The Blackhawks started their game against the Arizona Coyotes on the right note. Connor Bedard scored a highlight reel goal early after a great pass from Kevin Korchinski.
But it was all down hill from there as the Coyotes would score eight unanswered goals and win the game 8-1. Michael Carcone would register his first career hat trick and the Coyotes would end up chasing Arvid Soderblom out of the net near the end of the second period after allowing seven goals on 22 shots.
The Blackhawks have some bright spots on their roster, but all in all, the young players on the team need to learn to show up every single night. The Blackhawks have a lot of rookies on their roster, and this season is going to offer them a lot of opportunities to learn on the go. One important lesson they are now being shown is you have to show up every night no matter the opponent.
With that said, the Blackhawks schedule up to this point has been incredibly difficult. The Hawks have had just two matchups against teams without playoff aspirations this season in Arizona and Montreal. For the most part they have played some of the best teams in the league in Vegas, Boston and Colorado.
This next stretch of games is not going to get easier unfortunately. The Blackhawks face off against the Florida Panthers this upcoming Saturday and then face New Jersey, Tampa Bay twice and Florida one more time. They are facing some of the best teams in the league, teams hungry for points to help bolster their chances at making the postseason early.
Luckily the Blackhawks have a little break now before playing this Saturday. The team can refocus, get some rest and figure out any line changes that need to be made to succeed in the new month. Personally, I think the Hawks should consider pairing Lukas Reichel with Connor Bedard. Reichel might end up being a center down the line, but that doesn’t mean he is necessary ready for that role right now.